August is National Hair Loss Awareness Month. Hair thinning and loss affects people of all backgrounds, for a number of reasons. And unfortunately, one of the main culprits behind this hair loss is alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder. What’s worse, it’s a pretty common disease that can happen to anyone, even children.

What Is Alopecia?

Alopecia areata or “alopecia” is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair thinning and loss. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system is unable to tell the difference between your good cells and invasive, bad ones. As a result, it attacks healthy cells, which can cause disability and even death.

About Autoimmune Diseases

According to a report from the Cleveland Clinic, approximately one in 15 people has an autoimmune disease. There are a number of autoimmune disorders that range in severity. You may have heard of the more common ones, which include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. But, rare autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome or Kawasaki disease also devastate many in America. These diseases can present mild, moderate, and severe symptoms that can lead to disability.

Alopecia Causes

Doctors and other health professionals are still not exactly sure what causes alopecia areata, but they believe it may have much to do with your genetics and hormones.

Stress is another culprit behind the disease. Actress Viola Davis shared her experience with alopecia areata that developed due to stress. In an interview with Vulture, she says, “I woke up one day, and it looked like I had a Mohawk. Big splash of bald on the top of my head.” But luckily, upon realizing stress was the cause behind her hair loss, she learned how to manage her stressors through self-love.

More On Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a devastating disorder that affects men and women of all backgrounds. Many patients battle the stigma surrounding hair thinning and loss every day. Fortunately, more and more conversations about the disorder are happening. And as a result, this reduces the negative misconceptions surrounding this common disorder. Here are five facts that you should know about alopecia areata:

National hair loss awareness month